Chapter 79: Under a Toppelled Nest

"Martial Uncle Taichong—that is, your master—has already entered the Golden Core stage!" Xuye said with a beaming smile.

"That's wonderful! Where is my master?"

"He is still in secluded cultivation and won't emerge for some days yet," Xuye said. "However, once he comes out, he will go to the Outer Domain Battlefield to relieve the old ancestor stationed there. By then he may not have time to bid you farewell, so he asked me to pass on a message: you must behave yourself and stay inside the sect—do not go out under any circumstances!"

"The Thorn Demon?" Wei Yuning was taken aback for a moment and asked with a frown.

"Yes!" Xuye nodded with a complicated expression.

"The Outer Domain Battlefield? Isn't that extremely dangerous?" Wei Yuning had already grown immune to the threat of the Thorn Demon; he was more worried about Taichong's safety.

Last time, too, it was because of the Thorn Demon that Taichong had no choice but to abandon him once—but that was unavoidable, and Taichong had still secured enough dharma treasures and resources for him. Come to think of it, although this master of his was a bit soft-tempered, he treated him quite well.

Moreover, because of Master Taichong's existence, certain people within the sect wouldn't dare bully him. Without any backing of his own, he wouldn't have been able to live so comfortably within the sect otherwise.

"No matter how dangerous, he must go! You think the sect lives in the Spirit Beast World for free? Sects large and small must all contribute to this world. Besides, going to the Outer Domain Battlefield isn't only about danger—it can also greatly enhance a cultivator's combat power. More importantly, many cultivators who are stuck at a bottleneck break through during combat on the perilous Outer Domain Battlefield. So whether it is beneficial or harmful depends on how the cultivator weighs it. I raised this matter with the sect master last time, and he has already agreed, though he is still considering the specific details. By my guess, the sect master won't force sect disciples to go; he will likely just encourage everyone to go, with those who do receiving extra benefits and sect contribution points!" Xuye said.

"Then are the sect seniors currently at the Outer Domain Battlefield all sent there by force?" Wei Yuning asked.

"It can't really be called force—it's a rotation! As long as one reaches the Golden Core stage, unless there is a special reason to stay, one must go to the Outer Domain Battlefield for training. This is also a requirement of Beast King City. Our Cloud Concealment Sect conceals much of its strength. To outsiders, the Golden Core stage is our top fighting force—and of course, cultivators of this level count as top fighting force in the entire Spirit Beast World as well. So once the Golden Core experts go, there's no need to force lower-realm disciples to venture there. This is also the method the sect chose to preserve its disciples' strength. But looking at the results, it isn't necessarily a good thing!" Xuye sighed.

Beast King City was located on the central continent of the Spirit Beast World and was this world's central city, home to the highest authority of the continent.

"Senior Xuye, could you tell me about the Outer Domain Battlefield? I read about the Outer Domain Battlefield in a book by Senior Xuanmiaozi, which said that the abyss creatures in the enemy camp are particularly troublesome and terrifying foes!" Wei Yuning said.

"Abyss creatures? Heh, you'd best not encounter them—otherwise, even if you don't die, you'll lose a layer of skin. Oh, I almost forgot—you established your foundation with your physical body, so going to the Outer Domain Battlefield is much better for you than for divine sense cultivators. But overall, although the Outer Domain Battlefield is terrifying, it's not a one-way trip with no return. There's no need to worry excessively!" Xuye consoled him.

"I… of course I'm not worried. I have no intention of going to the Outer Domain Battlefield at all!" Wei Yuning said with a laugh.

"Heh, that's true too. Your aptitude is excellent, so there's no need to take risks. Besides, the Thorn Demon doesn't seem to have given up on you yet, so try not to leave the sect," Xuye nodded in agreement.

"I… there's a great demon right under our noses, so why does the sect still need to go to the Outer Domain Battlefield to slay demons?" Seeing Xuye bring up the Thorn Demon again, Wei Yuning felt a surge of nameless anger toward this monster, and at the same time grew a bit more resentful of the sect.

"Because he is a locally born demon—one that can be communicated with—and he has a deep relationship with the first-generation ancestor Daoling, so he was kept here. As for other lesser demons, the sect destroys them whenever it can. Apart from that, there is one more important point: our sect has no shortage of enemies, and the Thorn Demon might be of help at certain times!" Xuye pointed a finger upward.

Seeing that Xuye also seemed to show a tolerant attitude toward the Thorn Demon, Wei Yuning once again understood the importance of strength.

He sighed inwardly even more—the Cloud Concealment Sect really had nerves of steel, not only opposing the Heavenly Palace but also cooperating with monsters. It was a bit reckless.

For a brief moment, he had the impulse to leave the sect.

"Why has this Thorn Demon fixated on me!" Wei Yuning sighed.

"The current Thorn Demon isn't yet a great demon, but he's only half a step away from becoming one. An innate spirit body is a great tonic for a demon—it can forcibly elevate one minor realm, similar to a wood spirit in a cultivator's eyes. How could he not remain fixated on you?" Xuye asked in return.

"Then besides Daoling, is there anyone else who supports handing me over to the Thorn Demon?" Wei Yuning asked the question he cared about most.

"Of course not. Even Daoling wouldn't dare say so openly—at most, he'd make some small moves!" Xuye said.

"Small moves?" Wei Yuning's voice rose by eight decibels, but he quickly lowered his tone. "A small move from an Earth Immortal could easily kill me!"

Xuye was both amused and exasperated by Wei Yuning's intense reaction. This disciple was good in every way—he was just rather afraid of death.

"First of all, Ancestor Daoling is far more than an Earth Immortal—he is one of the sect's top five great experts at the Integration stage. Furthermore, as long as you don't leave the sect's territory, the Thorn Demon absolutely will not make a move on you! Daoling and the disciples of his lineage likewise will not make a move on you! This is not a matter of Daoling—it's a matter of the Cloud Concealment Sect. If Daoling truly dared to do so, Perfected Daoheng would personally destroy him," Xuye said seriously.

Seeing that Xuye had even brought out the first-generation sect master, Wei Yuning finally felt reassured. It seemed things weren't as bad as he had imagined.

"Senior Xuye, could you tell me about the process of capturing the Immortal Envoy this time?"

"Didn't you not want to know?" Xuye said, not pleased.

"Now I'm interested. Senior, please tell me!" Wei Yuning couldn't help acting cute, which nearly disgusted even himself. However, Xuye was an old man of two or three hundred years, and given Wei Yuning's age, he could only be considered a young child, so Xuye didn't find it unusual.

"Alright! There's not much to say about the details—your cultivation is too low, so I'll just describe the process."

"Through a series of arrangements, our group forced that Immortal Realm Champion to leave the Seven-Deer Immortal Chariot. In that instant, I used a technique that could briefly freeze the opponent—the price you've already seen!" Xuye pointed at his graying hair. "Then, Dao Brother Yongnian drew the opponent into a small space, imprisoned him, and sent him into the sect's secret realm."

"Then what about the Divine Martial Gate?" Wei Yuning asked.

"Heh, this Divine Martial Gate didn't know its place. A bunch of brutes with only brute strength actually dared to provoke our Cloud Concealment Sect. With a group of great experts at the Earth Immortal level and above present, we naturally wiped them out in passing!" Xuye said as if it were a matter of course.

"Then with the Immortal Envoy missing and the Divine Martial Gate destroyed, if the immortals behind them find out…" Wei Yuning didn't continue, looking at Elder Xuye.

"Relax, the sect has its own ways of dealing with it! Besides, for the news to reach the Immortal Palace, it will take at least a few years!" Xuye said with a smile, exceptionally calm.

Wei Yuning thought again of Qiuhu's mission—in twenty years, if the Eternal Immortal City also took an interest in the Cloud Concealment Sect, the sect would have to face both the Immortal City and the Immortal Palace at the same time. He wondered whether the Cloud Concealment Sect elders would still be able to laugh then.

Thinking of this scenario, Wei Yuning wanted to laugh—but it was a bitter laugh, because he was also a member of the Cloud Concealment Sect. If something truly happened to the sect, under a toppled nest, how could any egg remain intact!